


Coaster

by justcallmeasmodeus



Category: The Magicians (TV), The Magicians - Lev Grossman
Genre: Fluff, One Shot, The Magicians - Freeform, queliot, short fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-25
Updated: 2018-01-25
Packaged: 2019-03-09 03:40:18
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 922
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13472940
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/justcallmeasmodeus/pseuds/justcallmeasmodeus
Summary: Margo and Eliot take Quentin to blow off some steam





	Coaster

**Author's Note:**

> This is a small drabble I wrote for a friend, hope you enjoy it!

Quentin’s eyes strained to see something, anything through the pitch black darkness of the blindfold. He could hear the familiar pops and crackles of a spell at work over the low murmuring of Eliot and Margo’s chanting. He could smell the individual ingredients of the spell, and he racked his brain for that particular combination. Once it clicked, Quentin’s adrenaline spiked.

“Seriously guys, where are you taking me? I can smell the portal magic you know.”

“Nevermind Quentin, come along.” He felt Eliot take his hand and drag him through the portal, his stomach flipping in protest and he tried to steady his equilibrium without sight.

A wall of sound hit Quentin, causing him to stumble. The courtyard at Brakebills had been near silent, and now Quentin felt like he could hear every sound imaginable. Eliot removed Quentin’s blindfold and stuffed it into his back pocket. Quentin blinked, forcing his eyes to adjust to the sudden summer sun. 

“Are we at…” Quentin took in the screaming kids, distant sounds of ocean waves, and sickening smell of corn dogs, “a fair?”

“It’s a boardwalk actually. Santa Cruz to be exact.” Margo was shedding her sweater and soaking in the California sun.

“No, guys I can’t-” 

“Q, darling. We need a break, and I’m not talking the kind you and Alice are on right now. Clearly our past attempts at blowing off some steam backfired,” Eliot and Margo shared a knowing smile, and Quentin knew that he was referring to their emotional magic and wine induced rendezvous, “so this is plan b. Some horrid food, a few heart stopping rides, and some fresh ocean breezes.”

Quentin opened his mouth to protest again, but Margo beat him to it.

“Quentin. We’ve been too wrapped up in all of this Beast bullshit to have fun together. Let’s just take today to forget about life for a few hours. As soon as we step foot back on Brakebills property you can go back to worrying your hair white again.”

Quentin sighed.

“If I let you guys drag me around for a few hours will you leave me alone?”

“Oh, don’t be so melodramatic. You’ll love it.” 

Eliot grabbed Quentin’s hand and Quentin tried to ignore the warm feeling the blossomed in the pit of his stomach.  
“I’m not good with crowds.”

“I thought three was a crowd, and you did perfectly fine with that.” Margo’s retort earned her a glare from Eliot and a blush from Quentin.

“Bambi please, let’s keep it clean today.” Without dropping Q’s hand Eliot reached his free arm out and wrapped her close to his body. 

The warm air was infectious. As the sunshine warmed his body, Quentin felt his spirits lifting and his stress melting away. They ate corn dogs and cotton candy. They ran together on the beach, the laughter ringing out between them fading from foreign back to familiar. 

“Come on Quentin, it’s not that bad.” Eliot urged as he coaxed Quentin into the seat next to him. 

Quentin slid in, unsure of how Eliot and Margo had convinced him to get this far. As soon as Eliot pulled down the lap bar, he gripped it with white knuckled fists. Margo sat behind them, already squealing with delight.

“No, no, no. I can’t do this.” Quentin murmured, squeezing his eyes shut before deciding not looking was worse.

“Quentin, it doesn’t even have a seatbelt. Relax.” 

“Exactly Eliot! _It doesn’t have a seatbelt. _”__

__The ride lurched to a start, and Quentin watched his last chance of escape slowly slip away. Each clack of the old wooden coast wound Quentin’s nerves even tighter. Halfway up the first hill the coaster lurched hard again, causing Quentin to squeak and grab Eliot’s leg._ _

__“No, no, no, no.” Quentin grit his teeth as his stomach climbed into his throat in tandem with the coaster’s ascent. Eliot’s laughter rang in his ear as the coaster crested the hill. A choked ‘no’ stuck in Quentin’s throat as everything became impossibly fast. He couldn’t remember how to breathe, his mind refused to work._ _

__“Breathe Q!” Eliot elbowed Quentin in the ribs, and it was if he hit a switch._ _

__Quentin inhaled sharply and let out a scream. With the scream went all of his anxiety, his fears, and his regrets. He inhaled again, and Eliot’s hand grabbed his and gave it a small squeeze. Quentin let the warm feeling in the pit of his stomach wash over him, and this time he truly let go. Laughter bubbled out of his throat, and tears of freedom pricked out of his eyes as the wind burned his face._ _

__As the ride slowed to a stop, Quentin looked over at Eliot. For the first time in awhile, he felt like he had the faintest hold on something that he never really got; a childhood._ _

__“Can we ride again?” Quentin asked, eyes wide with wonder. Eliot looked back at Margo, who glanced at the line waiting to board. Eliot shifted to release his hold on Quentin, but Margo stopped him._ _

__“I got this one El.” With some quick tutting and an incantation, Margo flashed a smile at the ride attendant, who smiled back and moved on without unloading them. “There you go Quentin, unlimited rides.”_ _

__The smile Margo received, a real genuine smile from Quentin Coldwater, joined the shelves of her memory as one of her most prized possessions._ _

__They rode the coaster, masquerading as kids half their age, until the sun went down and the real world called them back._ _


End file.
